Category Archives: love

Leave her alone!!

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Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany.. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume….. Judas Iscariot objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?”… “Leave her alone”, Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”

(Jn 12.1-7)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death… What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?

(Rom 8.1&2, 31-33)

Dear Lord, your child so often trembles under the assault of accusing words, of silent judgement and implied criticism, of scorn and derision. Her wounds are known to you and precious; her grief and fear is known to you and pitied; her weariness at failure is known to you and met with your compassion and strength.

Have mercy on your child in her distress, for Lord, you know that often the voice which speaks so bitterly is her own. Lord, have mercy, strengthen your child in your love and hold her tight.

I write this week with some trepidation, because this is very personal to me. And I write almost hoping that most of my readers will not recognise the experiences of which I write because I would not wish anyone to share them! Words, the power of words to heal or to harm; the depth to which they can cut and leave scars which never fade.. and the sad fact that those words may be my own, as I lash out against myself in vicious condemnation. Friends, for some people this is real, and while I pray you may not know it in your own life, perhaps you have family or friends who do, and I pray your compassion for them.

The story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume and drying them with her hair is familiar, and yet it was only recently that my attention was drawn to those beautiful words of Jesus as he rebuked Judas – “Leave her alone!” Can you hear the power in his voice? Can you feel the protection which he thus puts around Mary, clothing her shockingly intimate act of worship with glory and denying all others the right to criticise or judge her? And those are the words which Jesus speaks over me too…

The Lord speaks to silence the bullying, vicious voices of condemnation – from outside and from within. And as Paul writes to the believers in Rome, if God refuses to condemn us, then who else may do so?!

Like Mary, I am fully known and utterly loved – Jesus, my defender, my champion, my lord and master rejoices to call me his own, and to reserve to himself alone the right to rebuke me, to discipline and correct my path. No other has authority to speak over my life but the voice of love; no other has the right to do so, because no other has died for my sake, in order to make me pure and clean at last.

Jesus stands between me and my accusers – even when it is my own voice which would condemn. In Jesus, I can be glad and free and proud, knowing that it is only his opinion of me which counts, and he has shown me his love. I have been singing this old hymn all my life, always thrilling to the imagery of the opening words which well express what I have tried to articulate today. May they bless you as they do me!

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress; Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in that great day, for who aught to my charge shall lay? Fully absolved through Thee I am, from sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

When from the dust of death I rise to claim my mansion in the skies, e’en then this shall be all my plea, Jesus hath lived, hath died for me!

(NL von Zinzendorf 1700-60; translated by Jn Wesley 1703-91)

Love.. is

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God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature…”

(Gen 1.26. the Message)

Jesus said,”.. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!…. to see me is to see the Father”

(Jn 14.7&9. The Message)

Love from the centre of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. .. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got in in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other… When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

(Romans 12.9-19, 13.8&10. The Message)

By his son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the son at the end. This son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature.

(Heb 1.2&3. The Message)

What are we here for? What is our purpose, and the reason for being human with all that means? The very first words of the Hebrew Scriptures give us the fundamental answer from which an infinite variety of paths will flow – we are here in order to be like God! That doesn’t sound very practical… so let me unpack a little.

God is revealed as the Maker, the great Artist and source of all creative energies. To be like Him therefore is to reflect his creativity, delight in beauty, to share in his care for creation. That overwhelming abundance of good things is made to glorify God and reflect his nature, his generosity; it is an expression of a love that delights to give.

The little word ‘us’ indicates to the reader that God exists in community; beyond time and created space, our Almighty and infinite Maker is in loving relationship, enjoying and sharing at the very heart of deity. To be like God then, is to be made for community, for mutual appreciation and affection, for shared life.

Let’s think in particular, of how to be like God is to love –  how does God love? I believe that all of scripture is a revelation of love in action. From the codes of law which God gave as an expression of love, through the admonitions of the prophets against the lovelessness of God’s people, and ultimately in Jesus life, death and resurrection that love is demonstrated and expressed. This is not a soft, indulgent love; this is a never-quenched flame which burns to achieve the best possible outcomes for the beloved – guarding them against danger, calling them back from the ways of folly and rebellion, providing for them what they most need and cannot achieve for themselves.

We, as the creatures of this loving God, are not called to do all that He does. But in Jesus we have a clear example of what it means to be “like God” as mere human beings. Jesus claimed to be God, to be revealing God to humanity in a perfect way. So Jesus shows us what it is like for a human being to love as God loves.

As you read the wonderfully rich list of love-in-action in Romans, consider how Jesus did all these things during his time walking among us. Rejoice that none of these things is out of our reach! We are not being called to an impossibility but to the fullest kind of life, one which is our calling, that perfectly fits what we are designed for – to love, because God first loved us.

We have this one shared purpose, and there will be as many expressions of it as there are human beings – no two people will live for and with God in the same way, but each may know what it is to love God and others with all that they are. Love, is to offer up all that God has given us in his service, generously sharing his gifts and our own experiences of his goodness in that unique path to which we are assigned by his grace.

Living in community

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Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments… are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

(Rom 13.8-10)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

(Heb 10.19-25)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Eph 4.1-6)

No family is perfect, because it is made up of human beings, who are not perfect.  We may be tempted to think that it would be easy to be perfectly patient, generous and forgiving, if only we had  different people around us! But the truth is that it is in our reactions to one another that our true nature is revealed… and when we join God’s family, the same things will happen. We will disagree, irritate and hurt one another, and find reasons to put distance between ourselves and others. We are saved, forgiven and destined for glory.. but we still mess up.

In spite of this, the bible knows nothing of solitary believers, it is always the community, the body of Christ and its corporate life which is being commended to us. Our life as part of the body is our life; even though we are unique individuals, we exist in relation to and for others.  Deliberate withdrawal from our christian family deprives others of our love and service, as well as their opportunity to serve us. Refusal to submit to our community’s loving watchfulness exposes us to the risks of indulging wrong-teaching, laziness and apathy – we become ripe for attack by the enemy of our souls, even as a straying sheep is targeted by the wolves. In love, we listen to older and wiser saints, respecting and treasuring them and through them receiving God’s help for each day. In love, we bring our disagreements into the open, willing to live with difference and humbly recognising our own limitations.

We have confidence that the Spirit lives in us, enabling us more and more to live in love – Christ-like. His Spirit spurs us on to emulate Christ’s love and good works, but also to lovingly spur on one another – not in some judgemental or competitive way, but through encouragement, and in love. We answer to Christ, not to the standards of a world which does not know him, so we are free to love generously, to rejoice and to boast in our Saviour and to make his service our delight. And it is in loving his family that this begins.

As I recall times when God has used me all unexpectedly to bless total strangers, and to be blessed by them, I remember that the church is both a local body, but also the people of God around the world, and I never know where I will encounter them. I have confidence that the Spirit is working in and through me, and so I can expect that God can use me to love in his name in unexpected ways and situations, as well as in the normal pattern of my days. What a joyous and exciting prospect!

Heavenly Father, thank you that your people around the world are one family. Thank you that you bring us across one another’s paths to bless, guide, protect and inspire us – working through your human children to minister your love to us. 

Let us be inspired afresh to love in Jesus’ name, and by his Spirit to stir one another up to love and good works, sensitive to your leading in our conversations, and always ready to meet a new brother or sister along the way! In the name of our great elder brother and Lord, Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Abundant living…

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‘But this is my word’, Jesus continued ,’for those of you who are listening: love your enemies! Do good to people who hate you! Bless people who curse you! Pray for people who treat you badly… Whatever you want people to do to you, do that to them. If you love those who love you, what’s special about that?… No: love your enemies, do good and lend without expecting any return. Your reward will be great! You will be children of the Highest! He is generous, you see, to the stingy and the wicked. You must be merciful, just as your father is merciful. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you’ll be forgiven. Give, and it will be given you: a good helping, squashed down, shaken in, and overflowing – that’s what will land in your lap. Yes: the ration you give to others is the ration you’ll get back for yourself.’

(Lk 6.27-38: NT Wright translation, 2001)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. .. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

(Rom 12. 17-21)

Jesus came to usher in the ‘age to come’, the kingdom of God unveiled in the heart of a kingdom ruled by the powers of this age, where humankind had been held in bondage, enslaved and unable to fulfil the role for which we were created – to live for and with our God, stewards of his creation and bearing his image. From the outset of his ministry, Jesus consistently overturned expectations about what God was like, and what it looked like to honour, and live in freedom with him.

The religious leaders of Judaism in his day were trying to bring in God’s kingdom by tighter and tighter adherence to the law, laying a huge burden on the people to get it right. Instead of this, Jesus came like a tornado of fresh air, light and boundary-breaking! Jesus said that if our hearts were right with God – in humble repentance, and joyful depending faith – then we had entered the kingdom of God, it was among us and we were loved and secured by God in his family. Jesus set aside the legal observances, turning the spotlight on the heart, and asking – “do you love and trust me above all these rules; above your racial purity; above your wealth and status in Israel?” Jesus came and poured out God’s love unstintingly, with a breathtaking abandon and – in the eyes of the Pharisees and teachers of the law – a reckless disregard for tradition! And time after time, Jesus called those who believed in him to live as he did – because this recklessly generous life reflects the heart of our God, the love which held nothing back when it came to doing for us what we desperately need and cannot do for ourselves.

Do I believe that God is astonishingly merciful? Well, yes I do, because he reached me and rescued me, and continues to seek out those like me who have done nothing to deserve his favour. Do I see God’s provision of sun and rain, day and night, for every human being on the planet? Yes, I do! He does not grudge us the good gifts we receive, and more than that, He chooses to show grace and love even to those who persist in dishonouring and grieving his holy, loving heart.

As I contemplate the way that God’s kingdom generosity pours out from Jesus, I am challenged to consider my own attitudes and behaviour: do I consistently choose to love, to give, to rejoice and live in the light, no matter what happens to me? Am I grudging or giving with gladness? Which attitude honours the God who gave his son for me? Which way of living will rightly mirror the God whose grace is amazing, and whose goodness is readily shown to those who reject him?

O Lord, God of heaven, in your mercy work in me that I might live to honour you by living abundantly, generously, giving as you give, forgiving and eager to do good that others might thrive. Show me what I have to spend in this way – my words, my time, my love… Show me where I am miserly, fearful and indifferent – release me to live for you, showing me what it looks like here and now to be like my Father in heaven. Let me follow my Saviour in a life of selfless love, that you might be glorified and lives transformed. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Generous and trusting love

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The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my father, take your inheritance.. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

(Matt 25.34&35,40)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves… Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

(Rom 12.9&10,13)

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God

(Rom 15.5&6)

When we left our previous home 8 months ago, we had no idea what lay ahead, we could make no plans, put down no real roots. It was a difficult experience, waiting and wondering and trying to enjoy each day for the gift it was instead of searching the future. One of the good decisions we made in that time was to commit to attending a church where we had a few contacts, and where we knew the gospel was preached, and lived, week by week.

And what a blessing they have been to us! Knowing that we could not stay for ever, knowing that we could not commit to long-term service and membership, they yet opened their hearts and homes to us and made us welcome. I will never forget the slight anxiety I felt on our first visit to our local homegroup – a strange house, with a room full of people whom we did not know.. by the end of that evening, we were family and how sweetly encouraging and refreshing that was to our unsettled hearts.

This experience has shown me so clearly what a deep bond exists between all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as their saviour, and live to love and serve him. We may know nothing about one another except that one thing, and that is the only one that matters.

When the saints make one another welcome in Jesus’ name, then he is glorified and his love works through us to minister to one another, providing for our needs, whatever they may be. I have needed community in some form, and found it in these loving folk who have let me share their lives, prayed with me, studied the bible with me, and let me share their burdens too. I am in their debt, but I know that they delighted to be generous to me – and I trust and pray that in turn I might follow their example in welcoming the stranger and making myself vulnerable that they might be blessed.

Of course, the drawback of a generous love is the pain of parting; but as believers we know that our parting is not forever. Although our times together in the future may be limited and sporadic, yet in the glory of God’s new creation we will have boundless time and opportunity to share in praising, serving and delighting in Christ together – we will never again run out of time to enjoy one another in his presence!

Heavenly Father, from whom each of us receives our name as your beloved child, I worship and praise you for your goodness to us as we minister to one another in your name, offering grace, love and practical support to friend and stranger.

How beautiful it is to have family that we haven’t met yet, and to know that we glorify you when we meet one another with open and generous hearts. Thank you for this provision which encourages and strengthens us as we journey through life, that we are never without a spiritual home to belong to.

May the Holy Spirit continually soften our hearts to be willing and ready; to be prepared to love even though it may bring the grief of parting; to be prepared to give without thought of return and caring only that the Body of Christ might be built up in love and faith. For the sake and the exaltation of our Lord Jesus, hear this our prayer, Amen

Not ‘what if..?’ , but ‘what is!’

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The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbour, and casts no slur on others…. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

(Ps 15.2,3&5)

“It is reported among the nations… that you are plotting..” I sent [Sanballat] this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us…. Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling me what he said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

(Neh 6.5&8,17&19)

You, my brothers and sisters were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

(Gal 5.13-15)

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

(1 Cor 13.6&7)

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless..

(Jas 1.26)

As a follower of Jesus Christ, one called to live for and with him in a fallen world, I am not given a set of rules to follow for daily living, but rather a person – a holy, pure and loving person whose perfections are both an inspiration and a challenge to me. By the power of the Holy Spirit within me, I believe that I am being made more like Jesus, that each hour and day of my life is seeing his likeness formed more clearly within me and – I pray – that means that I am fulfilling my purpose within his kingdom.

This transformation is not some airy-fairy thing of feelings, or transcendental experience, but totally grounded in practical things – it affects every aspect of my life, all my interactions with other people, both within and outwith my christian family and community. My actions, my use of my time and money, the priorities which direct my decision making and lifestyle, and my words…. friends, our words are part of what God wants to bring into conformity with Jesus too, so that we use them well!

I am reading the gritty and messy story of the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple and the city after 70 years of exile, under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and sadly God’s people were not doing terribly well at using their words for the good of the whole community. The social structures, the power and influence wielded by the enemies of God’s people, were having a very dangerous impact on morale. Rumours were spreading, half-truths were being proclaimed, and the godly leaders were being slandered… and the people of God were part of this messy, malicious and potentially catastrophic movement.. shame on them for letting themselves be sucked in to such trouble-making!

But, before we judge them for their actions, we need to take a look at ourselves, and recognise just how insidiously attractive such gossip can be, how delicious it is to speculate on what we do not know, and how easily we fall into this same dangerous pattern of behaviour. We forget that to love our neighbour, means to love truth enough to reject gossip; to refuse to speculate; to hope for the best in a bad situation and always to seek good.

In an age where false information is rife, it is even more necessary for the people of God to love truth; to despise gossip and to refuse to take part in speculation based on half-truth or ignorance. We must learn to hold our tongues and to love others well enough to speak only truth about them. Discretion, confidentiality and a continual discipline of holding fast to truth, are all marks of a faithful and useful servant of God, one who can be trusted with responsibility in the kingdom.. in this way, we can serve the body of the church and not harm it, strengthening instead of undermining it.

Heavenly Father, renew in me a love for you and for my neighbour which will make me also love truth. Let my speech be courteous, considered, and let me learn discretion so that I can be silent and keep the troubles of others private. Deliver me from the slippery path of gossip and speculation, and help me to stand and speak firmly from what is true, instead of being tossed on the waves of ‘what if?’  Thus may I serve and glorify you, and be a blessing to your people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A ready and generous affection

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..but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord…. the alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

(Lev 19.18&34)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

(Jn 13.34&35)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing  debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law…. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

(Rom 13. 8&10)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…

(1 Cor 13.4-8)

Love is not proud, and how often pride is at the root of all our disobediences.. love is ready to leap to greet another, ready with a smile, a kind word, a hug. Love is not afraid to show emotion, to be vulnerable and allow others to show love; love is generous, not stingy and mean in measuring out affection. Jesus calls us to love, AS HE LOVES. We can’t say there is no model, but we can choose to justify our deviation from it – and what does that say about our hearts and our sense of how much we are freely, undeservedly, loved?

Last week, as I walked in a big city, I met an old friend who took one look at me, opened his arms and embraced me in the biggest hug. It was such comfort to my hurting heart – he didn’t know that, but our Lord knew that was what I needed, and so he sent me that generous, eager loving heart to greet me as Jesus greets all his children – ” My dear, it is so good to see you!”

That little miraculous moment left me wondering how often we manage to take our opportunities to love generously, to love like Jesus, with no thought of reward, or of what others are thinking?

We all respond differently to different expressions of love, and part of the wisdom of being like Jesus is learning how to say “I love you” to some who don’t like physical displays of affection – what can I do or say to let them know the divine love today? For me and for many of us perhaps, words are a powerful way to both build up and to undermine love. So today I want to think particularly about how Jesus used words and to challenge us all to be more aware of what damage we may be doing by careless talk…

Jesus does not make himself significant by putting others down, by using sarcasm or being patronizing, by mocking those weaker than himself. Jesus infallibly spoke to the women he encountered with an unheard of respect, honesty and as equally beloved to God – an attitude which led them to seek him out, to follow him with devotion and serve sacrificially. This man didn’t belittle or send them back to the kitchen or the nursery, he listened, reasoned and made them know their worth in God’s eyes… Sadly, his church has failed to effectively follow his example very well, but the principle and model are there for us to follow.

Jesus welcomed the children, those suffering from obnoxious diseases and disabilities, and spoke to them as the object of God’s – not patronizing pity- but transforming and empowering love. Jesus took care that his words fitted his hearers, and his divine love and wisdom shine through clearly to show us that it is entirely possible to live as those who choose never to destroy, but always to build up the body of Christ, always persevering and meeting harshness with love and respect.

What will you and I do with our words this week? Will we make excuses and hide behind our busy-schedules, behind particular health/family or employment stresses? I don’t think Jesus leaves us any room for taking out our troubles in our words on those whom we are called to love – He didn’t do it! Will we use the acid-biting sarcasm, the bewildering cryptic comments that leave our hearers feeling utterly stupid, the patronising comments that treat them like less than God’s dearly beloved image bearers?

Will we use words to say instead: “Hello my precious friend, loved and unique, how can I serve you today, how can I encourage you to know the utter security of God’s hold upon you and to have joy in knowing that love, and sharing it?”

I know which one I want to be, and to that end, I share these verses from an old hymn which beautifully expresses that desire to love in the Lord’s name.

I ask Thee for a thoughtful love, through constant watching wise, to meet the glad with joyful smiles, and wipe the weeping eyes, and a heart, at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathise.

Wherever in this world I am, in whatso’er estate, I have a fellowship with hearts to keep and cultivate, and a work of lowly love to do the Lord on whom I wait.

(Anna L Waring, 1823-1910)

Just say it….

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“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift…

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? … But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness… therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Do not judge, or you too will be judged.. How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? .. so in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

 (Matt 5.23&24; 6.25,27,33-7.2,5&12)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

(Mk 11.25)

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves..

(Phil 2.1-3)

 

I am very conscious of the privileged life which I lead – the health, strength and financial security which are precious gifts in our troubled and unequal world. I am also thankful that I have been spared the anxious temperament, which in spite of so many blessings tends to dread the future and assume the worst.. I thank God for all those who have modelled trust and obedience for me, helping me in turn to leave my future well being in God’s hands and to await his resources for what He chooses to send me.

But, I do worry, I do get anxious… about relationships! It is these which bring me weeping to the Lord in prayer; which leave me weak with fear over some unresolved issue; full of dread about the future consequences of a present trouble. Does Jesus’ command speak to these things? 

We are created by God to thrive in relationships, his gifts to us and a means of growth, encouragement, discipline and deepening faith as well as joy-givers and love-teachers. But in this broken world, these good gifts are tainted by the polluting effects of human sin, and we will never experience them in their full perfection until our life in the new creation begins. Nonetheless, each day we live is within the context of relationships, and that ever-present quality means they are a valid object of our concern, will and love! We are in them now, and while we can’t control their future development, we can always love well in the present.

What does it look like to love well today? Jesus gave us so many ways to do this, and my frequent prayer is to know for each situation just what love looks like, how it should be expressed! I am called to forgive, and to receive forgiveness; to extend grace and comfort; to be slow to judge, and quick to recognise that the small fault in one person is actually much greater in myself; to speak encouragement or even express hurt and ask for change and better understanding; to resolve disagreement as quickly as is within my power and live at peace with all so far as lies with me. All should spring out of love, with the humility that seeks the good of the other as its primary goal, seeking to love more than to be loved. 

In every day, as I navigate my relationships, I have a choice about whether I will demand from others, or seek to give; to parade my needs or seek to minister to theirs. Will I speak love – in whatever way seems right – or will I not? May God give each of us the courage and wisdom to speak love – to say it with flowers, with hugs, with prayers, with words… just say it!

AND when I am aware that things are still not right, but I can’t see anymore that I can do, then I must not be anxious. This is God’s issue ultimately, and I must not let anything – even the most important relationships in my life aside from him – become bigger in my life, more important to me, than Jesus and his kingdom. 

Our God is sovereign over all things, including the messiness of human relationships, and is at work to be glorified and to see his kingdom realised through this as well as every other aspect of our lives. It is not up to me to fix everyone, and I must be humble enough to accept that – even when the consequences are relationships that remain difficult, fragile and even broken. In this too, his strength will be sufficient for my weakness.

Heavenly Father, Loving Saviour, Indwelling Spirit, grant me the humility to recognise that only you can love perfectly, and that I can trust you to deal with the consequences of my failures to love others, and their failures to love me. Be glorified as you demonstrate your grace, transforming power and sustaining divine love in us. Amen

When it’s far from merry and bright

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The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour…. and you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God..

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

(Isa 61.1-3,6&7)

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

(Lk 1.76-79)

The story at the heart of our celebration of Christmas is not about families round a table, or about friends enjoying a night out. The story is not about comfort and plenty, about noise and colour, making merry and eating fine food. The story is not about prosperity and wealth, or about privilege and ease. The media creates unbearable expectations around Christmas, piling image upon image, until we are swamped by the false story they are selling and telling us. For many, those false and unrealistic stories are creating an agony of isolation, driving people to despair as they see the difference between their lives, and the media’s stories.

I sometimes wish that I could rule the airwaves, and the internet for a day, to give the truth about Christ’s coming a chance to be heard! But each of us in our own lives and communities has the opportunity to do that – to share the message and to be the voice which – like John the Baptist – tells others of the rising sun, the one who comes to shine light in our darkness and to guide our feet into the path of peace.

When you are alone, in pain; when hope is hard to find and the future is bleak – the message of Christmas comes for you to say that you are never alone, that the Lord God who made all things loves you and chose to take on human flesh to show that love.

When you are tasting a bitter cup of disappointed hope, failures and broken dreams – the message of Christmas comes for you to say that the Lord God has plans for you, eternal life in his kingdom where you will know and be known by him. He has glorious things in store for you to know and do and be, and your deepest longings will be satisfied as you commit yourself to him.

When family is a bad word, when your wounds are raw and deep, and there is no sign of reconciliation or flourishing; when those whom you loved best are gone and life is a daily struggle with the effects of their absence, rubbing salt into the already aching places – the message of Christmas comes for you to say that the Lord God has brought you into his family, into a place of love and belonging where you are accepted and welcome as you are. His tenderness is powerful to heal you, and his spirit is strong to change you, and he waits to be there for you in all the places where you most grieve those who are gone…

The heart of the message of Christmas is of God breaking into human darkness; of God’s love refusing to leave us in our lost condition. It is a message of hope for the bleakest situation if we will only receive it, and it is a message we can all share.

O Lord of the lost and lonely, Lord of the broken and despairing, Lord of those whose lives appear perfect but are in fact hollow and bitter: grant your people courage to speak the true message of Christmas, of hope and help and light and love; of stability and of lasting worth given to those in deepest need. May we have strength to resist the media’s message, and discernment to know when and how to share the truth. Thank you, for sending light and healing to our darkness, thank you for Jesus!

Consider who, and whose you are!

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But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured and I love you, I will give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, ‘Give up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold’; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

(Isa 43.1-7; ESV, with amendments by A Motyer)

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus… May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

(1 Thess 1.2-5; 5.16-18,23&24)

How good it is to read words that nourish our spirits, that refresh and soothe us, that strengthen and invigorate us. This is what has happened for me as I revisit Isaiah, in company with a masterful and pastoral commentator who unpacks every line and shows me how the whole fits together, and fits into the great story of scripture. It is like dining on the richest foods, or being given a fresh access of vigour for the challenges of life.

I thank God for this blessing, for the skill and gifts of the commentator, and for the opportunity to share my thoughts with others, finding that I learn best when I put things into words for myself. Thank you to all who read, and I rejoice to know that sometimes the things that God helps me to understand and wrestle into print prove to be a blessing to you too – how good He is!

I have been pondering what lies behind the great promises in Isaiah 43, promises of protection, of preservation through all kinds of trials, and of a great summoning and uniting of all God’s children which will mark the new creation and our entry to eternal joy. I think it is in those first lines, where the Lord lays out the full extent of his commitment to his chosen people, the ground for our trust and security in him.

He created us, humankind, as the culminating act of creation. Our existence originates in his will, his life sustains us, and we live within his overarching purposes for creation.

He formed us, not only as a species, but as individuals, with attention and intention, each one unique and crafted to reflect his glory in our own ways.

He redeemed us, that is, He acts as our kinsman-redeemer, a role demonstrated for us clearly in the story of Boaz and Ruth, where Boaz takes as his own the needs and concerns of his kinswomen, rescuing them from the threat of destitution and protecting them from harm. What we need, He supplies; our helplessness is his opportunity to provide.

He calls us by name, addressing each individual as known and precious, and not only that, He gives us His name, taking us into the most intimate of relationships and making us his prized bride, beloved and cherished and provided for.

What grounds for confidence! What reason to face the future steadily and prayerfully! Should we not rejoice then in our identity in Christ? We are joyfully claimed by our God and Saviour, to be his own, to bear witness to his power, love and mercy, to live in trust through the trials of life and to give thanks because He who called us is absolutely faithful and will do all he has promised.